Tidal owner Jay Z has decided to pull all of his albums from rival streaming services Apple Music in an apparent effort to woo over new subscribers, or increase piracy of his music.
India is one of the next big markets for tech companies, and Google just threw down the gauntlet against Apple by undercutting Apple Music with its own Google Play music subscription service.
While Apple Music charges 120 rupees per month (around $2), Google is charging just 99 rupees ($1.50) for tis own service — with a discounted rate of 89 rupees for the first 45 days. In the U.S., both Google Play Music and Apple Music charge $9.99 per month.
Apple Music subscribers on Android got some much-needed love from Apple today in the form of an update that brings a fresh UI to the streaming app.
It’s been nearly a year since Apple unveiled its Apple Music redesign as part of iOS 10 at WWDC 2016, but Android users are just now getting a taste of the interface’s bold, streamlined look.
Cupertino might not consider Apple TV a “hobby” any longer, but according to new data from comScore, the streaming device certainly is not viewed as a serious contender in the marketplace.
ComScore’s new figures show that — at the end of 2016 — Roku led the way for streaming TV boxes/sticks in the United States, with 18 percent penetration among Wi-Fi households. Amazon’s Fire TV followed on its heels with 12 percent, while Google’s Chromecast came third with 8 percent. Apple TV trailed in fourth place with just 5 percent.
In another sign that Apple is gearing up to make a big push into video, the company has hired former YouTube executive Shiva Rajaraman.
The hire comes as Apple is beginning to launch its own efforts to create original video content for Apple Music subscribers, but the addition of Rajaraman could mean Apple is looking to explore other avenues for its video content too.
The race to create the hottest karaoke show in the U.S. is heating up now that Spotify has revealed it is making a TV show that will feature artists performing while rolling through Los Angeles traffic.
Spotify is calling the show Traffic Jams. And while it has a lot in common with Apple Music’s Carpool Karaoke, Spotify hopes some key difference will set its show apart.
Beats 1 is the “biggest radio station in the world,” claims Apple Music’s head of content Larry Jackson.
“There’s no way you’re going to find another station that has as many concurrent listeners and audience-wise as Beats 1, period,” Jackson said in a new interview with various Apple Music execs.
Beats 1 DJ Zane Lowe says that Apple is “working on” new Beats radio stations, although won’t introduce them until, “they feel it’s right.”
While Lowe doesn’t provide more details, it’s one of the few things he addresses directly in an interview during which he sidesteps plenty of other questions — suggesting it’s something that Apple’s happy to be talked about to some extent.
The king of music streaming has done it again.
Drake’s latest album, More Life, shattered single-day streaming records during its first 24 hours of availability on Apple Music and Spotify this week, putting it on track to break every streaming record to date.
Apple’s war with Spotify for exclusives can be a great thing for artists, according to three time Grammy winner Chance the Rapper.
In a series of tweets posted this morning, Chance the Rapper elaborated on his music with Apple Music and revealed how much the company paid him for exclusive access to his award-winning album Coloring Book.
In an effort to keep up with rival streaming services like Apple Music, Pandora is finally giving users the ability to choose the music they want to listen to with a Pandora Premium subscription priced at $9.99 a month.
Apple is going all out to feature great media that promotes strong women by creating special sections in iTunes and Apple Music for International Women’s Day.
iPhone, Mac and Apple TV users can comb through Apple’s handpicked choices in categories like music, movies and books to find stories and entertainment that promotes strong female characters.
Apple has published a new series of ads for its music streaming service and just like its last ads for AirPods, the new spots focus on the U.K. market.
The two new Apple Music ads originally aired during the BRIT awards last month, but Apple just added them to its YouTube channel. Beats 1 radio host Julie Adenuga narrates the ads which highlight a bevy of British artists while talking about Apple Music’s best features.
Check ’em out:
Three senior Apple executives are in talks with Hollywood’s “most successful” TV and movie producers over original content for Apple TV, according to a new report.
Each member of the trio, which includes Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of internet software and services, is so desperate to secure the first deal that they supposedly are fighting against each other.
Apple Music’s batch of exclusives haven’t been able to stop Spotify’s impressive growth of paid subscribers over the last year.
Spotify revealed today that it new has over 50 million paid subscribers for its music streaming service, which is more than double the 20 million subscribers Apple Music had at the end of 2016.
Notorious recluse Frank Ocean doesn’t come out of hiding that often, but when he does he sure does make it worth it, like today when he surprised fans with a new Beats 1 radio show.
Prepare yourself for Apple’s first teaser trailer for Planet of the Apps, because it’s a total cringe-fest.
Billing Jessica Alba and Gwyneth Paltrow as some of “the world’s most culturally influential entrepreneurs,” the Shark Tank ripoff pairs budding app developers with tech luminaries and venture capitalists who can help make their App Store dreams a reality.
Apple has dropped its first trailer for Carpool Karaoke, a new series coming soon to Apple Music.
The teaser offers a glimpse at some of the guests and hosts that will appear in the show, including Will Smith, John Cena, and Ariana Grande.
Dr. Dre is a major force in Apple’s push toward offering original video content, according to a new report from Variety.
“Dre’s purpose in life is to come up with something that moves the needle,” co-founder Jimmy Iovine says. “He’s done that really seriously a bunch of times. And now he’s experimenting with video. And what he does will be unique, and he will get there. My responsibility to Apple and to him is to put him in that position where he can.”
Apple has hired a former Spotify executive to work with smaller, independent labels.
Steve Savoca joined Apple Music in January after five years as Spotify’s Vice President of Content.
Prince may have been one of the most high-profile celebrity deaths of 2016, but his music will live on via Apple Music starting February.
A new report claims that Prince’s Warner Music Group albums — including iconic hits like “Let’s Go Crazy,” “Purple Rain” and “When Doves Cry” — will start streaming on February 12.
Apple is set to reveal its first quarterly earnings report of 2017 and, if Wall Street’s estimates are any indicator, it could be Apple’s biggest quarter ever.
After multiple quarters of declining revenues, today’s call could see the company return to growth, lifted by strong iPhone sales over the holidays and a burgeoning services business that has quickly become Apple’s second-biggest moneymaker.
Tim Cook and Luca Maestri are scheduled to hold an open call with investors today at 2 p.m. Pacific. As usual, Cult of Mac will be here liveblogging and analyzing all the action. Get prepped for the call with our guide on what to expect, and join the fun in the liveblog below.
Apple sold more iPhone units than ever before last quarter, a spasm of sales that finally returned the company to growth, as revealed today in Cupertino’s first earnings report of 2017.
With total revenues of $78.4 billion bringing in a profit of $17.9 billion, Apple CEO Tim Cook said he is “thrilled” with the results. Wall Street is happy, too: AAPL shares are trading up significantly in after-hours trading.
Apple Music has announced its entry into the world of high profile sport sponsorship, by agreeing a sponsorship deal with top German soccer club FC Bayern Munich.
The club, which is the biggest in Germany, has revealed that as part of the deal it will be offering exclusive Apple Music playlists and other content.
When Apple reveals its first quarterly earnings report of 2017 next Tuesday, the company could shock us with another record-breaking quarter.
The Q1 2017 earnings will cover Apple’s first full quarter of iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus sales, and Apple should also get a big boost from the holiday shopping season, according to some Wall Street estimates. During its last earnings call, Apple predicted its revenue slump will end as the company finally returns to growth this quarter, but will it be enough to satisfy investors?
Here’s what to expect from Apple’s January 31 earnings report.
